Friday

Subject:	Midwife Visit Week 37
Time:	6:16 pm.

Our visit today went well. Relatively uneventful. I've lost a pound and my BP is 120/80. That's high for me but not high at all in general. The Raspberry Leaf Tea I've been drinking is known to raise BP slightly so it could just be that. Nothing to worry about.

We told Stephanie about the hot flashes and pretty consistent contractions I've been having. Still not painful, just strong, but she wanted to check my cervix to see if anything was happening. The baby's dropped even lower, I'm at -2 station now. My cervix is not dilated or effaced at all yet and is still long and posterior. That of course doesn't necessarily mean anything other then that nothing has happened yet. I could not have that change at all for a week, or be 3 cms dilated by tomorrow. There's no way to know. But given the station and how I've been feeling, Stephanie figures another 2 weeks or so.

That's really all that happened. Our next visit is with Judith who we've only seen twice so far. To get in with her though we had to make our appointment for Monday, so we'll be checking everything again pretty soon. Off to drink my tea and do some Yoga. I think I might go swimming on Friday when I'm home, being in the water would be good for me I think.

We met our neighbor's brand new baby girl tonight. She's so perfect. The eyelashes are really amazing. To think, one like that is inside me, just waiting to be strong enough to join our family. I can't wait, I'm so excited to meet you little one. Let me know when you want to come out and play.

Subject:	36 week midwife appointment
Time:	6:25 pm.

Yeah for midwives! We had a great appointment today. We were with Stephanie and the Student again and it went MUCH better. I basically just told the student straight out in the beginning that we were confused and overwhelmed last time and could she just talk us through everything a little more this time. She responded well and was really nice. I'm much more comfortable with her.

I've gained 2 lbs which is perfect and my BP is 110/68. The baby's heart is strong and loud, plus they did this neurological test, where they see if the baby's heart beat responds to external stimulus and how long it takes for the heart beat to return to normal. Apparently babies prone to fetal distress do badly on this test, so it's good to know. Baby passed with flying colors.

We didn't do an internal exam so I don't have any dilation/effacement info. Stephanie only does them after 40 weeks unless the women want them, so we passed on it. They don't really tell us that much anyway. She checked the baby's position and said I have definitely dropped. The baby's head down and facing my back, it's even positioned on my left side. Such a perfect little baby. Stephanie did say though that considering how low the head feels in my pelvis she'd guesstimate that I'm at about -1 station.

Subject:	9 Months of Baby Goodness!
Time:	9:36 am.

Mamma Development
For many reasons I'm having trouble sleeping lately. Mostly it's because I'm in a certain amount of pain between my back, hip and knee. Also, going the bathroom every 45 minutes isn't conducive to sleep.

I start seeing the midwife once a week now. This week I will get the Group B Strep test back and have my first internal check to see if anything is moving towards labor down there. They will check if I am dilating (when the cervix opens) and effacing (when the cervix thins), and what station the baby is in (how far the baby has dropped into the pelvis). Pretty big exciting stuff. The other thing is that we will find out what position the baby's in. I'm worrying about that more then I probably should, but I really want to do everything I can to make sure the baby is head down and avoid back labor...cause that doesn't sound like any fun at all.

I believe that last Monday the baby began it's dropping. I can breath so much better and generally feel lighter. My profile is distinctly different now too. They say that this usually happens about 2-4 weeks before labor begins.

All of the websites and books talk about counting fetal movement: "Your doctor or midwife may give you a handout on how to count fetal movements; if not, ask her for one." I think that this adds more pressure and increases maternal worry and stress...so I'm not doing it. All along this baby has been pretty quiet and more snuggly then kicky. As long as I feel it have a spurt of energy every 6 hours or so I'm not worrying about it. Besides, how can a baby that can inflict so much pressure on a cervix so quickly and determinedly be having any problems :)

Random Fact: My uterus has grown to 1,000 times its nonpregnant volume.

Baby Development:
Your baby's little knees and elbows are developing dimples now.

Your baby is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day, weighing about 6 pounds and is around 20.5 inches long. This week, your little one is sporting new fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. The liver can also process some waste products. There should be a sufficient amount of surfactant in your little ones lungs for them to work well on their own now.

For a child about to be born, baby fat is a very good thing. Your baby is working hard to accumulate all the fat he can at this point. This build-up of fat -- about 15 percent of the total weight--will help maintain Baby's body temperature and provide a store of energy. Because the fat beneath the skin is white in color, it makes the skin appear lighter and less ruddy.

Can a fetus feel an itch? We don't know that, but we do know that they often scratch themselves before birth.

Subject:	Midwife appointment week 34
Time:	8:51 am.

Ahhh the trials and tribulations of going to the midwives. First the stats:

Fundus measures 34 cm for 34 weeks (this baby's so perfect already :)
Heartbeat was really loud and strong this time. Must be growing healthy. 144bpm.
BP 112/68 and weight 155lbs...

That's right. After all that trouble last week about my weight I gained 1 lbs in 2 weeks. Stupid scales. I knew everything was fine. My midwife was all impressed and said "Well, I guess that diet I put you on really worked" so I told her that I only did it for 3 days and felt like crap and hungry the whole time so I decided not to care and ate whatever I wanted. She looked kind of stunned and said, "well, OK. I guess it was just a growth spurt then".

We did the Group B Strep test. They don't usually do it until 36 weeks but the midwife wanted to be sure we had enough time to get it done and back from the lab before I go into labor. So I guess her bets are on that I will go early too. It wasn't bad at all, just a vaginal swipe and a quick anal swab (which they don't tell you they're going to do, it's not internal but could still be shocking if you didn't know it was coming). If i'm positive I won't get an IV, just a Heplock for when I need the antibiotic treatments, which is only every 4 hours. She said that I wouldn't need oral antibiotics to take at home because even if I only get one treatment in it will be OK, and I'll probably be in the hospital for at least two anyway since this is my fist baby. She didn't seem overly concerned about it either way which is good.

We also went over our birthplan with them, which went well. Everything we put in ours is 100% OK and pretty much how they prefer to do things too. She made sure to go over the EFM and induction policy with me, which is that they don't use them (except for the initial quick EFM check when you arrive) unless there's something wrong. They also never use them without explaining to us exactly what they're concerned about and how the intervention will help. Basically they don't do anything that isn't medically necessary and won't until we've tried everything else. The cord cutting was the same way, they will wait till it stops pulsing as a matter of practice unless there is something wrong and baby needs to get to the warmer or NICU immediately.

Our next appointment is in 2 weeks and we start going every week after that and checking my cervix/dilation/effacement/station every time! Ohhhh baby, here you come!

Subject:	34 weeks of Baby Goodness
Time:	9:48 am.

Baby Development
Baby is up to 19.8 inches long, and weighs about 5 pounds now

As of this week, your baby is no longer adrift in his private pond of amniotic fluid. Baby's gotten so big that its no longer floating but resting on your uterus instead. At this point, your baby is probably already in the position he'll be in at birth. This one is head down and facing backward which is just what we want. Now we just need to keep it there and cox it to the left a little...

Your baby's skull is still quite pliable and not completely joined, so it can ease out of the relatively narrow birth canal.

If you're a first-time mother, your child's head may move into the pelvis this week and press firmly against your cervix. (This happens for about half of all first-time mothers.) If you're a second-time mom, you can expect this to happen a week before labor — and for some this won't happen until the advanced stages of labor. Many women start to notice a tingling sensation or numbness in the pelvic region from the baby's weight on the nerves in the legs and pelvis. Unfortunately, this feeling probably won't subside until the baby is born.

If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies born at 34 weeks can survive outside the womb — and most have no major problems. Though your baby's central nervous system is still maturing, your baby's lungs are nearly fully developed by now.

Mamma Development
We're in the home stretch now. Everything that needs to get done should start getting done. The lists and things keep telling me to wash the baby's clothes and to pack my hospital bag and such. We're so busy though, I'll do some next week probably, but want to wait till after the Smith Family shower on the 23rd before doing too much. Things slow down significantly for us after that, and I'll be 36 weeks which I imagine will be fine. The only thing we're doing right now is making sure that there's ALWAYS at least 1/4 tank of gas in the car so we won't have to stress about running out of gas should something happen. I think Don's going to try and get the car seat fitted this weekend too.

We have our Birth Plan all set now. I'm going to take it into the midwives to go over later this week I think. I don't think we have anything that they aren't used to dealing with in it.

86% of this pregnancy has passed, there is 14% left to go!

The hormones from the placenta are starting to activate the milk in the breasts. I'm definitely producing more colostrum. The consistency is a little thicker and creamier then it was when I started noticing it in my fifth month, so I guess everyone's gearing up and getting ready for the baby. I'm also having more Braxton-Hicks contractions and they are getting more intense every week. I still wouldn't call them painful...but I'm sure we'll get there :)

My hands and feet are swelling less then they were a few weeks ago. I've upped my water in take and have been trying to pay closer attention. They swell the most when I'm hot, so controlling my climate has made a BIG difference in this.

Random Fact: There are almost 2 pints of amniotic fluid in my uterus at this point.

Subject:	The mysterious third trimester (that lasts 4 1/2 months)
Time:	10:36 am.

Trimester is a word that implies things segmented into 3s. The first TRI-mester is 3 months long. The second TRI-mester is 3 months long. The third TRI-mester however is standardly 4 months long. Sure, if you delivered after only a 3 month 3rd trimester everyone would be OK with that and baby would be fine, but you're due date is actually 4 after a 4 month trimester...and average for white women on their first child is to deliver 10 days AFTER their due date. Making it a 4 1/2 month TRI-mester. So let's all ban together to stop the propaganda. Stop saying 9 months when referring to pregnancy. Warn your daughters! It's 10 1/2 months. I didn't know this until I got pregnant and was SHOCKED.

ahhem, but the point.

I'm experiencing some very typical third trimester things I think. My hands are swelling. I'm pretty sure my feel have grown or are swollen (these size 7 boots that my 5 1/2 size feet used to swim in are feeling awfully cozy...), Anemia hasn't officially set in but I am pale and look drained the way I used to before my period. My hips are spreading and I'm an emotional loon.

I feel a constant pressure on my pelvic girdle that I haven't felt before. I imagine this is the baby getting heavier and my bones starting to spread to accommodate it moving down eventually. I haven't dropped at all, but the bones and joints in my hips and pelvis are very...I don't know the right word, it's not painful, just uncomfortable and weird feeling. The baby is taking up so much room now, I can feel it's little hands tickling so low in my hips, I'm amazed that it's down there so far.

The mental/emotional stuff is much harder to deal with. on Sunday Don and I went to Costco to exchange our Baby Mozart Tape collection for the same thing in DVDs (so we can play them on our laptops when we travel - thanks Dad and Pat) and ran some other errands. Eventually we ended up at Wall*Mart and in about 5 seconds I went from totally fine to FURIOUS to dizzy and faint, like in the first trimester. I went to wait in the car while Don paid for our Oxiclean and fell asleep. When he got to the car he asked me a very innocent question and I started bawling. I couldn't talk or think or anything, and I kept crying for about 15 minutes. Finally he bought me a Chicken sandwich that I chocked down between sobs and felt much better.

Last night I behaved in a similar way, not as much crying but a lot more dizziness and heavy exhaustion. From what I can tell all of this is completely normal, but that doesn't always help when I'm in the throws of it. We're down to the grin and bear it stage now. Not too much longer to go. Only 3 more weeks to 36 weeks...only 9 more weeks worst case scenario. That's totally do-able.

Subject:	8 Month Midwife Appointment
Time:	2:13 pm.

We met with Barbara again this appointment, which was nice. As much as we like them all I think we like her the best. She's very soothing and encouraging.

Everyone is pretty healthy. The baby is the perfect size and it's little heart is going at 144BPM. It's still in the head down back facing position it has been, which is ideal for birth, so hopefully it will stay there. It's even angled the way the Optimal Positioning books say to try to maneuver them into to I'm content. Baby's been kicking up a storm and it's love of Ragae/Soul music seems to be continuing. It just loves that Refugee song by the Fugees. So far it's favorite songs are that, Day-Oh by Harry Belefonte and The Way You Do The Things You Do by UB40.

My Blood Pressure was 110/78, which is great but my weight is 154lbs. That's right. I've gained 11 pounds in one month! So the midwife wants me to watch what I'm eating and back of fruit a little to try and get it to calm down some, but the thing is I'm eating the same as i have all along and don't look any bigger (other than boob and belly). I'll try to be healthier, but I think this is just the way of it. It's frustrating after so many months of not gaining enough and being told to eat more fat and threatened with nutritionists to now be told I gained too much though. Maybe this was just my body's way of evening the playing field.

The thing is that a lot of it seems much like the weight I gained when I was on Depo, fast and fluid. When I went on Depo I was fine for a while and then I gained 40lbs in 3 months. I was miserable and had all the emotional side effects associated with the drug too. As soon as I went off of it I lost all 40lbs in 2 months. It was all water retention. Since my hands are swollen now and my feet are a little, I think it's the same thing and just my body's reaction to the hormone changes going on.

I'm doing really well though, very healthy and I have more energy these days. I have a massage tomorrow and am going to make an appointment with the Chiropractor in my massage therapist's office. My back just isn't getting better, even with the medicine they gave me, so this is kind of the last ditch try before maybe having to cut back on work. Two midwives and a massage therapist all recommended it though so I have high hopes of getting some relief.

Subject:	8 months! (32 Weeks) of Baby Goodness
Time:	6:26 pm.

Baby Development

Baby gains a third to half of his birth weight during the next seven weeks, fattening up for survival outside the womb. Thanks to these fatty deposits, his skin is getting plumper and healthier looking. By now, your baby probably weighs nearly 4 pounds and is about 16 1/2 inches long — no wonder it feels so crowded in there! Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for — brain scans have shown fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight.

Will it be baby blues or a brown-eye girl? Your baby's iris color begins to appear around the thirty-first week. Most babies are born with dark blueish-brown or bluish-gray eyes, but this shade almost always changes after birth. Baby's finger nails may reach the end of the fingers now.

Strange but true: In human fetuses, breathing movements spike in the hours of darkness. Why? Scientists don't yet know.

Mamma Development

My pelvis has softened which allows the hips to spread in preparation for birth. It's a weird sensation, like a muscle ache after working out, not painful, just there. I can definitely feel my bones shifting there and in my ribs. Oi! Of course in general the baby doesn't kick me in the pelvis, but it does in the ribs. I can usually convince it to dislodge it's foot by poking at it though. I can also almost always feel it's little butt sticking out, things are getting really tight in there, you can really see and feel the baby moving around all the time.

I may gain a pound a week for the rest of your pregnancy, which is perfectly normal. 1/2 a pound for the baby and 1/2 a pound for me. I have another midwives appointment on Thursday so we'll see if that's true or not.

Many babies will have chosen a head down, or vertex, position by this point. Last time we checked ours was too, which is excellent. Hopefully it hasn't wiggled out of that position! My Braxton-Hicks contractions are getting more frequent and intense. In general they are still painless though and seem to correlate with how active I am. Sometimes I do need to sit down for them to settle down but they always do, so it's not indicative of anything other then that I'm doing too much. I'm tired most of the time anyway so it's a good check and balance for me.

As the contractions become more regular though I've started thinking more about labor. These are questions I found that are good to consider/know the answers too before the fact:

When should I go to the birth place?
No one really wants me at the hospital until I'm into transition. The midwives, doula and I all agree that it's easier to get through everything without having to be on any time schedule if you don't get there before then. Plus I'd like to be home where I'm comfy until we know it's time for the midwives to get involved
How do I time contractions?
From the beginning of one to the beginning of the next
Who should come with me? (Partner, doula, parents, siblings, etc.)
Don and Stacy (our doula) will be at the house with me and go to the hospital with me too. We probably won't want anyone else there until the baby's actually born just so I can focus.
What should I pack?
Uggh, I have lists somewhere, I'm not going to worry about it until 34 weeks though.
Will labor be really painful?
Well yeah, it's not like I'm having a hamster here, it's going to be a 6-11lb baby! But I feel confident that I can do this if given the time and support I need.

Only 8 weeks to go before my due date! Only 4 more weeks before I'm considered full term. It's getting so close now!

Subject:	30 Weeks of Baby Goodness - 3/4 of a Baby
Time:	11:52 am.

Baby Development
Your baby likely tops three pounds now and measures up to 17 inches in length. Now that almost all of the baby's organs are functioning, growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores. Baby should more than double its weight again between now and birth. New eyebrows and eyelashes now frame your little one's peepers and there should be a good head of hair going at this point.

Your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during the third trimester. You'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium. All 300 bones in the little one's body are present and accounted for now, though some of them will fuse after birth, leaving a grand, lifetime total of 206. The baby's bone marrow has now taken over production of red blood cells. Baby's brain is growing so quickly now that THE soft, flexible skull bones are being pushed outward. The tiny, complex computer that is your baby's brain is gaining power and speed.

Due to the lack of space available now, your baby will make fewer big movements, like somersaults, and more small movements of the arms and legs. baby will have its knees tucked up to its chest now all the time in the 'fetal position'.

Mamma Development
Baby Center says: "If you are having Braxton Hicks Contractions use them to practice what you've learned in prenatal classes, and know that they are a sign that your body is getting ready for labor." but I have to say they really don't hurt at all. I've been having them off and on since month 5 and they are definitely more frequent now but they're not anything I'd need to cope with like they suggest. There's a tightening of the Uterus and a definite moment of catch up after they start, but once you relax it's fine. They rarely restrict my movement or really bother me at all. Every now and then I have had to walk a little slower or have had to sit or not move much till they were over, but that's been very rare and still not painful, because as long as I don't aggravate them I can hardly feel it.

I'm trying to keep up with my Yoga and stretching as best I can. I want to do more swimming to try and stay active, but my knee is deteriorating pretty quickly so it's hard to get much exercise. Exercise is supposedly the best thing I can do to keep from being too uncomfortable from here on out though so I'm trying.

I'm mostly uncomfortable in my back. So far my legs have been fine and I've had little to no swelling. And while I'm short of breath it only makes sense since all of my organs are up in my ribcage now! I'm definitely starting to slow down though. My second trimester energy is pretty well gone and I need a nap or a lie down for about an hour pretty much every day.

By this point in your pregnancy your blood volume has doubled. Wow...

Subject:	Belly Button Bizarreness
Time:	9:56 am.
Mood:	enthralled.

I'm sitting in my office rubbing my belly, because, well, I'm pregnant, shut-up, and I feel something...different. So I hike my giant mumu of a shirt up over my belly to look at my belly button and it's all kinds of crazy! It hasn't popped out completely yet, but it is now just a straight line instead of any kind of whole. Plus the skin is all weird. I have to take a picture. The outside that had already stretched out is soft but looks like regular skin, but inside that now, there's a darker rind and WHITE skin that feels totally bizarre. I can't really explain it but it's all like creased and looks like it should be cracky but isn't, if you push around it it kind of pops out and you can see ALL the way inside.

If I touch it even lightly the baby pushes right against it on the other side. It must be right under there. I think things are getting squished because I could feel it squiggling around down in my hips yesterday and if it moves you can almost always see from the outside what it's doing. But I just expanded again! How can it be squished already :) Fortunately there are still no stretch marks though, so lets keep our fingers crossed for that continuing.

Subject:	Midwife Visit
Time:	7:04 pm.

Yeah for Barbara. We've now met #3 of the 3 midwife practice and Don and I agree we have absolutely no preference in who we see next or who delivers the baby. We trust and like them all. It was great to meet Barbara, now we can relax about the unknown entity.

So my BP is 110/68 and my fundus measures 30cm at 28wks. And the shocking news is I have gained...dum...dum...dum...

2 Pounds!

That's right kids. I've gained 2 whole pounds in the last month. Barbara seems to think that's completely fine. I've gained 11 pounds over my prepregnancy weight. I'm in shock personally. I must be losing me weight or something. Baby is fine and strong, heartbeat is steady and strong, so there's nothing to worry about. I take my vitamins and flax seed oil and get more then enough protein, so I'm not gonna worry about it.

I did the glucose test too, the orange soda stuff wasn't that bad. In fact I think it tasted a little better then regular Orange Soda. They're going to check my Iron too as long as their drawing blood but I'm sure both will be fine. I'll only hear back if there's something wrong.

Nothing else really happened. Barbara answered some of our questions; Baby doesn't have to be bathed or can be bathed in the room, I can get in the tub after my membranes have ruptured as long as I'm in active labor, I can't really eat in the hospital, but they don't really want my there till I'm 8cms or so dialated anyway, so they'll send me out and I can eat then if I haven't progressed that far, but if I want a banana or a power bar or any kind of snacky food while I'm there they don't mind me eating that kind of stuff.

Subject:	Zippidy Doula Zippidy Day
Time:	12:16 pm.

Last night we had our second appointment with Stacy. Once again, I maintain that we hired the very best person out there for us. She really is so comfortable and soothing. The three of us were in stitches pretty much through the whole 2 hours. I have a little cold, so I was kind of wonky during it, but Don was all a chatty. She and him seem to really be able to connect and I know he feels comfortable with her and has a lot of faith in her advice, which will keep him calm, which will keep me calm.

We mostly went over emotional stuff and the Birthplan. She had some really good suggestions and changes for me to make on the Birthplan which was great. I'm going to work on that soon and give to the midwives for my file by the end of the month or so. I think they should have it when I hit 8 1/2 months at the latest. We also spent a lot of time talking about the Baby's after care and what we want and how to best get it. It sounds like unless we're really lucky it's going to be tricky to keep the nurses from taking the Baby for a while. We're going to delay everything (weighing, shots, everything) for the first hour, so the three of us can have some family time, then Don will go with them for whatever they need to do.

One of the funniest things was that we want to waive the baby being bathed. I don't think it's necessary and it means having to leave the baby under a warmer before and after to stabilize it's temp. This is something Don may or may not be able to be there for (I'd like him to just hold the baby under the warmer if it has to be under one) because the warmers are often stationary to the bassinets. When we were talking about waiving the bath she said there were lots of reasons that was hard. Mostly because the nurses are just so used to doing it and see it as part of the check list, but also, apparently, because your baby, until washed, is considered a bio-hazard! A bio-hazard! Can you believe it. All three of us were almost crying with laughter when Stacy told us that. Good Lord, I don't envy the nurse who tries to tell me THAT!

Subject:	Baby Goodness 7 Months!!!
Time:	8:31 am.
Mood:	tired.
Music:	Track 17 off the new Tori CD.

Baby Development:
Starting about now, your baby can partially open his eyes and will turn its head toward the source of any continuous bright light. Your baby's first visual impressions outside the womb will be sorted into light and dark, too -- that's why many toys designed for newborns are black and white. The fingernails are budding, and fat layers are beginning to form as Baby gets ready for life outside the womb.

Up until this point your baby's brain was smooth. Now, due to rapid growth, those wrinkles that are completely normal on the surface of the brain, are beginning to develop. Eyelashes appear around this time, too. On a newborn, lashes make charming frames for the eyes, but they also serve an important protective role, shielding the sensitive surface of the eyeball from any debris.

At the start of the third trimester, the average baby weighs about two and a half pounds and measures 12 to 16 inches. With the big job of organ and nerve development just about wrapped up, your baby will gain weight -- mostly in the form of body fat --very quickly now. The fat will fill out most of the wrinkles in the skin and supply insulation and energy.

While I am of course concerned about premature labor - especially with Don's history - it's reassuring to know that a baby born at this time has a good chance of survival with the help of medical technology. (90% survival rate at 27 weeks 95% at 30 weeks). We'll keep the little stinker in there for a while longer though if we can :)

Mamma Development:

I have another midwife appointment tomorrow and that begins the first of our new every two week appointment schedule. I will be seeing Barbara, who is the only midwife in the practice that I haven't met yet. Things are really starting to feel like they're wrapping up though. We only have 2 more Birthworks classes. I'm so glad we took these and am excited about the last two (Labor Process and Interventions and then Birth and Post-Partum) but can't believe that we're now considered "educated" about this whole process!

We also have another appointment with Stacy (our Doula) this evening. I can't believe it's been 2 months since we saw her last already. I have been working on our birthplan and want to go over that and some other questions I have with her tonight in addition to whatever she has planned.

I'm leaking colostrum now, not regularly, and still only really if you poke at them, or I bump into something. Most women gain an average of 11 more pounds during this trimester. I don't know what I weigh right now, but I'd imagine like 145lbs or a little more.

The next step is to begin interviewing pediatricians. I think we're just going to go with the office at Georgetown for now, because then they can come to the Post-Partum Room to do the initial check in the hospital, after that I'm not sure, we've gotten a few recommendations though. We're planning on doing the delayed vaccination schedule (although still getting them all) and not doing the combined MMR but breaking them out to avoid the Mercury, so I want to find a Pediatrician who's knowledgeable and sympathetic about that.

Subject:	Stupid Baby Tricks
Time:	10:10 am.

The baby has a whole new repertoire of tricks. It's actually becoming like this thing that you can play with...well, that I can play with. It doesn't seem to respond to other people much yet.

Ok so the first is the poke-poke game. Baby pokes somewhere on my belly really hard and then I press in the same spot. Baby then punches me REALLY hard. Then baby moves to another spot - rinse and repeat. This can also be played with me going first. I poke in a spot and baby squiggle squiggles to get in the right position and pokes me back in that spot. This game is amusing for all.

The second is the "I've Got Your Random Body Part" game. The rules are much like "I've Got Your Nose" but well, I don't think I could find the baby's nose. Baby pokes somewhere and holds the extended poke position. I find the body part and can kind of hold on to it gently and feel little bones and curves. Eventually baby retracts and pokes something else somewhere else. It's hard to always get to the random body part in time and definitely impossible to discern what part it is, but I felt this hard round thing that went in a little if you followed it up. Don thinks he felt a knee-bob or something but baby didn't keep it out long enough to really feel much.

Subject:	26 Weeks of Baby Goodness - a little late
Time:	9:38 am.

Baby Development:
The uterus also allows some light to be seen. So your baby is aware of lightness and darkness. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn her head, which researchers say shows some functioning of the optic nerve.

Measuring from head to toe, Baby is, on average, over a foot tall and very likely weighs in at over two pounds. Most of this gain has been in bone and tissue -- she is still quite slender, with very little body fat. To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple. Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints and some 1,000 ligaments.

Fetal brain scans at 26 weeks show that she responds to touch and response to sound is growing more consistent as the nerve pathways to the ears develop. Veins are visible through your baby's skin, although it is quickly changing from transparent to opaque.

Momma Development:
I'm getting tired again, I had a good run of it during the second trimester with a lot more energy, but now I'm feeling the strain of every little thing more acutely. Physically and Emotionally.

The Monkey Baby is moving a lot more, doing some form of high level Baby-Fu. I can feel elbows moving across my belly and cartwheels and very strong kicks. It must be getting pretty cramped in there. For the most part it's still quiet more often then not, but when it's active, it really gets going. Don can definitely feel movement on the outside but for the most part when he touches the belly the baby just pushes against wherever his hand is. Don can't really feel it but I can feel a very strong and focused pressure under his hand from the baby.

Sleep has been a new challenge. I'm more uncomfortable and have trouble finding a good position, plus when I do sleep I've been having very vivid dreams.

I do have 26 week pictures, but FightingMonkey is down, I think for the count, so I can't post them until we have a new place to host. We're trying to find somewhere to host fightingmonkey on the cheep, so hopefully it will be back up soon.

Subject:	6 Months of Baby Goodness!
Time:	10:56 am.

Baby Development
Sing, shout, laugh -- your baby can hear you! As of the end of this week, hearing will be well established, thanks to the bones of her inner ear, which have hardened and are able to detect sound vibrations. Baby can pick up noises from outside the womb and from within -- the rush of your bloodstream, the thumping of your heart. At birth, baby recognizes mom's voice by its frequencies and patterns and dads should chime in, too.

The fetus weighs more than 1 1/4 pounds. Though it still has little body fat and its skin is thin and fragile, it is taking on the shape of a full-term baby. The brain is growing rapidly, and the baby is starting to fill the space in your uterus. Your baby's lungs have developed enough so that, conceivably, your little one could survive outside the womb. Still, your baby still has a lot of growing to do. If you went into labor at this time, many healthcare providers would make every effort to halt the progress of preterm labor to enable the fetus to continue maturing. Optimally, it will stay put until what is considered full term at the end of the 37th week.

From now on baby will be gaining about a half pound a week and I will be gaining the same, so in total I should start gaining about a pound a week.

Momma Development
So far I don't have any stretch marks. I've been using coco-butter and belly balm to try and keep the skin soft so I won't get unnecessary marks, but they say if you're going to get them there's really nothing you can do about it. The stretch marks that come with pregnancy though will fade to silvery white marks after you give birth. Also, my eyes often feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as dry-eye. I've been trying to drink lots of water and stay hydrated.

I don't have much swelling, except in my hands and feet sometimes. My ankles so far haven't swollen and what I do get goes away pretty quickly if I put my feet up. If swelling gets severe I'll have to be checked for preeclampsia, but so far I seem to be safe from that. I've had a little bit of heartburn, but nothing all that bad, mostly it's been in the evening so I'm trying to drink more milk with dinner and before bed.

By this point in pregnancy, my uterus is about 1 - 1 1/2 inches above the navel. The baby moves all the time and you can see it on the outside sometimes. I guess it's getting pretty cramped in there. This morning Don had his hand on my belly and where he pushed down the baby would push back and then if Don started pushing somewhere else on my belly the baby would move and push there. "Leave me alone Daddy!" It was pretty funny to watch them play.

I've started to feel what I think are Braxton Hicks contractions. They really are painless, just can take me by surprise sometimes so I have to stop and regroup. They are a slight tensing of the abdomen which is just your uterine muscle preparing for birth. Apparently the uterus contracts at all phases of a woman's life but we rarely notice until our uterus is full.

My belly button is also making it's quick progression from innie to outie. The skin around the belly button is all smooth and slightly discolored and there are little bulges around the edge that I think are it starting to make it's final exodus. Pretty neat.

Subject:	Midwife Appointment 6 Months
Time:	10:42 am.

We had our 24 week midwife appointment on Monday with Judith. This is the second time we've seen her and really like her. So now we've met 2 out of the 3 midwives and would be comfortable with either of them being at the birth. Next month we will be meeting with Barbara, the third midwife. But we know some people who have seen her and are sure she will be great too.

My current statistics:
Weight: 141lbs (that's 9lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight. A little on the low side but because I'm gaining steadily now for two months and am small to begin with Judith didn't see cause for concern)
Blood Pressure: 120/70. A smidge higher than usual for me but still well within the range of normal.
Fudus Measurement: 24 cms. Perfect :)
Baby's Heartbeat: in the high 140s or low 150s. Baby, as usual, kept running away from the doppler so it was hard to catch. Anywhere in that range in normal and good though.

We only had a few questions and other than those it was a pretty short visit. I asked about Clariton-D vs. Clariton because my PCP said that Clariton would be better but I'm hesitant to mess with the medications now that we've found something that's kind of working. Judith said not to worry about it and keep taking the Clariton-D so as to not get sick. She said that we'd watch me closely and if we need to switch later we would, but for now it's worth staying on so I don't get sick. The only risk I know of is if my blood pressure gets too high I might need to stop taking the Decongestant part, but since I've never had high blood pressure and am doing well I'm not anticipating having to worry about that.

I also asked about if I can switch back to the Allegra-D for breastfeeding or if I need to stay on the Clariton. She wasn't sure and is going to look it up and let us know next time, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to take it though. Don asked about what I should be eating and she stressed that Omega-D (I think) is really important now. It's what I would be getting in fish if the fish wasn't all contaminated. So we're going to go get some flax seed oil which she said was a great supplement and would help baby's brain development at this stage.

Next month we do the Glucose test and start going in every two weeks...It's getting closer and closer now :)

Subject:	Baby Development Week 22
Time:	12:55 pm.

Baby Development
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn. The lips are becoming more distinct and the eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyebrows and eyelids are in place. The pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Baby was 12oz at the 20 weeks ultrasound and should be gaining pretty quickly now so is probably just under a pound. Baby's liver is now starting to function and the legs have grown longer and are now in the proper proportion to the rest of the body. At this point in its development, the baby's brain begins to grow very quickly, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues, as its capacity constantly grows until the age of five years.

Watch what you say from here on in: If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, it can probably hear you. You may want to try reading to out loud. Choose some children's classics, or read aloud one of your own books. After birth, some studies suggest a newborn will suck more vigorously when you feed her if you read to her from a book frequently heard in utero. I've been reading In The Beginning to the baby in the evenings and Don has been trying to find something to read to it too. Hopefully soon we'll get some headphones hooked up for baby to listen to music too.

Momma development
I've definitely gained more weight. I don't own a scale so I don't know how much, but Don and I can both see it more in my face and hips. It's about time! The books say I'm supposed to continue to gain between half a pound to a pound a week from here on in. most of that will be baby, boob, water and blood that I'll lose after the birth, and about 10 pounds I think will be fat, which is necessary to ease the birth and for the baby while breast feeding.

I can feel the baby pretty much all the time now, and on Sunday morning Don was able to feel it too! He had his hand on my belly and the baby moved two of his fingers right up. I know he's been anxious to feel it so I'm glad baby cooperated. I can't really see the baby move or kick at all, but I'm also not paying a lot of attention. I can feel it so strongly now, and have begun to really notice patterns. The calmer I am the more active Baby is, when I'm stressed or upset it tends to be pretty still. I guess it's true about Momma's emotions effecting the baby. This one definitely gets giddy when I'm happy.

By this week, the uterus is now higher than the navel. I'm quickly approaching belly popping from innie to outie. Everyday I have less and less belly button. I've had some swelling in my legs and feet and even a little in my hands which is due in part to some dehydration and increased blood flow. I've gotten a foot stool to use at work but need to drink more water and be a little more vigalent about doing my Yoga to get all my fluids and electrolytes and everything flowing.

Some women at this point find that they are having trouble with hemorrhoids. Fortunately I am not one of them, so we don't have to talk about it. Icky.

Subject:	Birthworks Session One
Time:	8:40 am.
Mood:	calm.

Last night was our first Birthworks class and man, it's everything I had hoped it would be. Even Don got really chatty and into it and left saying, wow, that was great! That's really so unlike him for these kinds of things but he really did go in with an open mind, ready to really get involved.

So class is one instructor who is super cool, she has a two year old daughter who she and her partner are co-parenting with the biological father and his partner. She had an all natural birth and is very positive about it, but really maintained a perspective and was very...well, she really was listening and responding actively to us. She really made me feel understood and, as much as I hate the word, validated. The rest of the class was 3 other couples. 2 of them are having home births, but one has the midwives at Georgetown as their back-up in case they need to go in for some reason. The other couple is really like us I think. They are with the Midwives as well, but are considered high-risk because she is 40. So far there've been no complications for them and all the tests are normal and good too.

We are, as always it seems, the youngest ones there. I guess people my age just aren't into these kinds of preparations. no one under 30 in my Yoga class either. I wonder what that says about my generation and how we look at birth and our bodies. Anyway, the class was basically a talk session not a learning session and it was really great. We all filled out a questionnaire before we got there that Susan (the instructor) read and had us share some answers if we were comfortable. Then we did some generally talking about our fears and hopes. She really included the men and drew them out into sharing their expectations and worries and what they wanted to learn about and how they saw their roles. I don't think Don and I said anything that surprised the other, but it's good to say out loud and to hear other people saying the same things. I think especially for him.

We also did a question and answer thing and then shared which was really informative. One was a list of sentences that we had to finish. Things like "Pain is...", "i am most looking forward to blank about the birth", and "If I have a Cesarean I will..." The next part was a listing exercise that we all did and then all shared our answers to. The questions were: "List 10 things that help you relax", "List 5 things you want to do during the labor", "List 5 things you want done for you", "List 3 things you've learned about yourself during this pregnancy". These especially were really great to hear. It was interesting how similar a lot of our answers were (I mean amongst the women) and how similar the men's answers were. I was really glad to hear some of Don's, not overly surprising but definitely insightful into how he's feeling about this whole thing.

I think the most interesting and important thing I learned about myself is how much I need to be alone. One of the things that calms me (and this question was asked a few times in different ways) is to be alone. I guess because I spent so much time alone as a child. I've always really enjoyed having private space for myself. Susan felt like this was a really important thing to listen to myself on, and to know it was OK to lock myself in the bathroom at the hospital if I just need to get away from the nurses and Don and everyone for a little while. She said for Don to remember this too and not be hurt, especially during "transition".

Leaving, again I felt really good about how we are preparing and that we are doing it a little earlier. Everyone else is about a month/month and a half ahead of me, but for us, I think doing this now when the birth itself isn't looming so close will help us focus and relax on listening to each other and listening to ourselves.

Don and I left chatting with Scott and Teresa (the other couple going to Georgetown). I offered to give Teresa the numbers of the Doula's I had narrowed the search down to and Stacy's and my massage therapist's number next week. She seemed really excited about the idea of having someone to talk to and share ideas with. It really felt like a good community for us right now.

Don and I held hands all the way home.

Subject:	Partners Yoga
Time:	1:44 pm.

Last night Don and I went to the Partner's Yoga class in my Yoga series. A lot of it was really general but a lot of it was great. It was really nice to be with Don though and get him physically involved in the pregnancy at this point. I think being there and doing the exercises and thinking about the birth really made the whole thing real for him. He's been a real cuddlebug ever since.

So the big things we did were some stretching, some hip rolls and lots of massaging. The stretching was nice, but very general, didn't really get me loosened up at all, but the hip rolls were great. I don't know what it is but those always seem to really effect me. I just loosen right up. Maybe I should take a belly dancing class...I'd love to do that while pregnant, I think it'd be fun to flaunt my big belly. I should ask Stacy if she knows anyone who might do belly dancing and know about pregnancy.

We did the hip rolls, but we did them together, which was really nice, we did them back to back and face to face like dancing, but the best one was with Don behind me and me leading the rolls and his hands on my belly. I felt so connected to him and really felt like we were in the same rhythm with those. He felt so close and I could feel him warm hands on the baby and just was overwhelmed by the love. He kept kissing me and talking to the baby through the whole thing. I'm really blessed to have such a good man.

The massaging was pretty typical, lots of head and neck and feet rubbing. The instructor kept trying to tell us what to do, but Don and I just kind of did our own thing. The nice one though was the back massage with me on all fours resting my upper body weight on pillows. It was hard on my knee because Don would push kind of hard and make the knee bend more then it wanted too, but once he got the pressure right it was really great. That position is very soothing, I don't do it often because of my knee, but I can really see how wonderful it will be for the birth. And Don's warm hands on my back, especially my really low back, was really relaxing and calming. I'm going to file that one away to try when I'm in labor.

So we had a good time. I'm not going to sign up for another Yoga series there, I might check out "Sun and Moon" (another Yoga place) or Belly dancing and just keep doing my video at home, but I think we'll go back to the Partner's Yoga class again. We giggled and kissed and chatted all night and in the car ride home. So in tune with each other. Too bad I get so tired so early, I had to be put pretty much straight to bed when we got back!

Subject:	Fires, Kisses and Baby Kicks
Time:	9:59 am.
Mood:	grateful.

I think last night was perhaps the best night of my life so far. I think I'm the happiest I've ever been, certainly happier than I ever thought I would be. I have the most wonderful family and friends and future. I'm truly blessed in this world.

Last night Don and I puttered and cleaned some and then had our house-mate/neighbor (she lives in the mother-in-law sweet attached to our house) over for dinner. It was nice and casual and Don made a great dinner for me. When she was ready to leave Don went over to her place quickly to help her with her computer and I sat down in front of the fire with the dogs. I could feel the baby moving around some but not much and I was content and happy so I started just singing my favorite song (Every Hour Here by the Innocence Mission). Well, Baby LOVED it and started wiggling all over the place and poking me. When I stopped singing it would settle down some though, so I just sat there in front of the fire singing all the songs I know in my head...which is about 3.

So when Don came up I told him that Baby was dancing and he should put on some music for me to sing along to. He put on some Tori Amos and sat down on the floor with me. So we just sat there, swaying back and forth, watching the fire with his hand on my belly singing to the Baby and rubbing puppy tummies. It was just perfect.

Eventually Baby settled down even with the singing so we decided to watch a movie. We saw Death to Smoochie (you must go see this movie) and laughed and snuggled and ate some cookies until bed time.

Such a simple night. But the closest to heaven I've ever been.

Subject:	Midwives, Ultrasounds and Kicking Babies!
Time:	9:22 am.
Mood:	ecstatic.

In the words of Ice Cube Today Was A Good Day Yo!

Everybody is healthy and strong and growing well, we were able to see the baby on the ultrasounds and got some great pictures. I didn't get a chance to scan them in, but soon, I promise. Baby didn't really like the ultrasound though. It kept running away from it and hiding it's face. We got a few good profile shots but mostly just baby butt and the back of the head. It's big and strong though with 10 fingers and 10 toes and 4 chambers in it's little heart and a nose and chin and 2 ears and a good strong brain with all the gray matter and synapses and such it's supposed to have. We say Baby's kidneys and bladder and the umbilical cord which was pumping blood well. We're measuring a week big, but I knew that from the very beginning so there's nothing to think about that, except that my new EDD (Estimated Due Date) is 4/19/03. Sorry Dad! Baby is estimated to be 12oz and has a Heart Beat of 155 BPM. I can't figure out all the other medical coding they gave me but baby's in the perfect percentile of everything.

As for me I'm now 136.5lbs. Up 4.5 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight which is what we were hoping for. This next month should include A LOT more growth and weight gain as I keep GETTING BIGGER. My blood pressure is 112/65. We didn't do any tests except urine and I have no proteins and am all around healthy and happy :)

The really exciting thing though was when we got home. Don and I went for a long walk and did a bunch of work on trying to finish the basement so I was moving around a lot, but then I sat down to pay bills while Don did some laundry. I had on my maternity jeans, which are too tight, but still kind of fit, but sitting down they really pushed into my lower belly. All of a sudden as I was sitting there I felt something push out against where the jeans were pushing in! It kept happening until I got up and the jeans weren't pressing there anymore. I guess the baby had had enough with the day full of poking and prodding and decided to fight back.

It didn't feel like a flutter or a squiggle or anything like what people say it feels like at first, that I've had so much trouble discerning. This was like if there was a balloon in your belly and you overinflated it, that spot where the plastic weakens and starts to give and expand even more into a blerp. That spot that creates it's own pocket beyond the scope of the balloon, but it was inside me, pushing and pushing till I got up.

Subject:	Oh My Lord - There's Half A Baby in There!!!
Time:	10:13 am.
Mood:	content.
Music:	Cowboys and Angels - George Michael.

That's right folks. We are officially at the half way point. Pregnancy is calculated in weeks, so a 40 week pregnancy is considered "normal" and I am now in my 20th week. Unbelievable that we are half way there, and at the same time, such an excruciatingly long time to wait.

Baby Development: Welcome to the fifth month of pregnancy! Here's proof that life is an endless cycle: less than half a year ago your baby was just an egg herself, but by now, if she's a girl, she's already developed the tiny follicles that hold all the eggs she'll ever have--as many as six million.

Throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly. This is a crucial time for sensory development. The brain is developing specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. The baby's heart beats rapidly--about twice as fast as mother's.

Baby's eyes look forward instead of to the side, and the ears are in — or nearly in — their final spot on the sides of the head. Your little one's skeleton is still mostly rubbery cartilage, but it's about to start hardening into bone. Your baby measures 10 inches and weighs about 10 ounces. The size of a large banana. The baby is steadily gaining weight to stay warm after birth. A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to enshroud your baby and protects the skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery.

Mamma's Development: My uterus has grown well into my abdomen by now and from now on it will grow at about a centimeter per week. I've also had some achiness in my lower abdomen — it's just the stretching of the muscles and ligaments supporting the growing uterus - but lord does it hurt sometimes.

I'm bigger and tired but mostly a happy camper these days. It's harder and harder to keep perspective on my emotions, they seem to run around amuck without my consent, but Don's the best husband a girl could ask for, so I get a lot of leeway. Iron is fast becoming an important supplement for the baby, as it's producing it's own red blood cells. My iron count was nice and high at our last blood work-up so hopefully everything is fine with just my handy dandy pre-natal vitamins. I believe we'll have more blood work done at the 20 (or maybe 24) week check-up so I'll know for sure then.

This week we have a lot going on, today is the first Ultrasound with the higher-powered machine. We could find out the sex at this point, but we aren't going to - so stop asking :) Then we have the next midwife appointment, so there will be a big detailed update with pictures tomorrow. We also start our Birthworks class on Thursday and I'm continuing with my Yoga class for another few weeks. It's a busy time of year, with all the holidays and traveling and I'll have lots of baby updates throughout.

Hope you are well, Happy Chanukah

Subject:	I Love my Doula - Doo Da Doo Da
Time:	8:52 am.
Mood:	relieved.

We met with Stacy last night for the first time. Don and I have both spoken to her on the phone so we know her and like her but last night she came over for our first appointment and she's even more fantabulous than I had thought. She's funny and engaging and smart and fun, but really calming at the same time.

She came at about 7PM and gave us a booklet of information she's compiled. It's really thorough and great, all kinds of information distilled down so that it's comprehensible without doing a lot of research on my own. She included C-Sections, Induction, Breast Feeding, Techniques Optimal Positioning for the baby when I'm further along, Birth Plan info and guidelines, and tons more. Really a wealth of knowledge. She also recommended a bunch of books for both Don and I to read (some together some seperately). If any of you would like those titles just let me know. I'm happy to share.

We then went through a questionnaire which was mostly about me and my medical history and temperament. She was a little surprised by Don and my open admission to my tendency towards, well, let's just call it abuse, when uncomfortable. Basically I just have a REALLY strong fight or flight instinct when I feel threatened which usually results in fight. I've bitten dentists before and punched a few doctors in my time so it's not out of the realm of possibility that the nurses might just need to stay away from me. I think it's important for her to know that.

Also she had me test to see if I have inverted nipples and mine are borderline flat. So we're going to look again when she comes in January and maybe invest in some nipple shields to try and draw them out some. The amazing thing was that when she had me check I leaked some colostrum (A precursor to breast milk that's rich in fats, protein, and antibodies,colostrum is sometimes called "early milk")! It's clear and only a VERY small amount kind of dribbled out. It's quite early to start producing it, but not bad in any way, it just means I'll probably be good and leaky during the end of the third trimester. The human body really is an amazing thing.

By the end of the night Stacy and Don were just jabbering away, which is really great, he's pretty shy and really took to her which makes me happy. She had a doll and a pelvis with her and did the most amazing demonstration of epidural birth vs. active birth. The process for the baby getting through the pelvis really requires a feat of contortion for baby, a lot of twists and turns so basically during the epidural birth the baby just sat on the back of the pelvis and didn't really move, but during the active birth because the pelvic bone was moving around and twisting and bending the baby just kind of slid through the cervix. I know it won't be that easy or extreme but it really made me feel confident about our choices for the birth.

She also met both dogs and is completely comfortable with them being around. They were both really good, a little jumpy but better than usual, and Ayla was amazing, actually went and got her bone from the office and laid down next to Stacy with it! I've never seen her calm down so fast before. That's really great because if she's at our house during the beginning of labor I very well may want my puppies, and her not being afraid of them will make that easier.

Go take the poll on BabyCenter.com if you're planning, pregnant or have had children, the number of women who say yes is really high.
Q: Will you--or did you--use a doula for your birth?
Yes 47%
No 53%

Subject:	Sing a Song of Sixpence
Time:	8:47 am.
Mood:	silly.
Music:	Moon River playing in my Head.

I'm wearing a bowling shirt today. My boss bought it for me. It's Pink and Black and I have Pink clips in my hair. I feel like I'm 6 years old. I'm tired (as usual) but a really happy six year old.

I've started this strange habit of just sing songing "baby baby baby" to Xerxes when I'm alone at home or on the elevator or something. It's become so much more real. I have a very "pregnant" shape to me, my belly is round and full, not just big and out there. I still can't decide if some of what I'm feeling is movement or not. I guess once I feel movement I can discern I'll be able to look back and know if this was like it. But I know I can feel little squiggles. I like to think of my baby doing a Mamba or Rumba in my belly as I sing my tuneless little ditty to it.

Baby, do you hear me? Can you tell when I'm talking to you? When I use the "third eye" like my Yoga says to can you feel me looking for you and loving you? Do you dance? I can't wait to dance with you on the outside, to hold you and sing to you and laugh with you. Soon Little One...we're just about half way there!

Subject:	Baby Goodness Week 18
Time:	1:20 pm.
Mood:	calm.

Quickly, I've changed the settings for posting a comment. Now you can make anonymous postings if you want if you don't have a Live Journal Account. So Say hi! I'm curious about who out there is reading this. Just remember to sign your name please. Thanks.

Baby's Development: The unique swirls and whorls that are your baby's fingerprints begin to appear at the tips of the fingers this week. Your baby is approximately 8 inches long and around around 7 ounces, twice the size of last month. . The chest moves up and down to mimic breathing, but isn't taking in air, only amniotic fluid. The skeleton is mostly rubbery cartilage, which will harden later. A protective substance called myelin slowly begins to enshroud the spinal cord. Meconium, the baby's first bowel movement, is beginning to accumulate in the bowel. It is made up of undigested debris from the amniotic fluid and various secretions of the digestive tract. The placenta, that all-important nurturing organ, is now almost as big as the baby itself. The hands are making grasping motions, and might even start sucking it's thumb.

The baby will make purposeful movements now. You may notice that every time your midwife tries to use the Doppler to listen to the heartbeat, the baby 'runs' away from it. This is because the sound waves used by the devise are audible in the uterus. Loud noises outside the uterus may cause the baby to startle and move hands up to cover the ears.

My, it's warm in here. The average temperature within the amniotic fluid is 99.6 degrees F!

Momma's Development: I'm pretty sure I've started feeling the baby move now. It's still only when I'm about the fall asleep or in the tub totally relaxed, but when it happens it's a very distinct feeling. I wish Don could feel it. Real kicking doesn't usually start for a month or so though.

The growing uterus has shifted the center of gravity, and I've definitely been feeling a bit off-kilter. I feel more obviously/classically pregnant now then I have before. My stomach has the "right" shape and when I have clothes on I look very maternal. It's amazing how much has happened in just the last two weeks to my body, I feel a constant pulling on my middle and can actually feel the skin get taunt and relaxed from day to day as my body stretches for the baby. I'm uncomfortable most of the time now and can never seem to get the temperature right, or find a comfortable position to sit in, but not in any pain other than the usual Round Ligament pain.

Supposedly I'm supposed to have gained at least 5 pounds by now, maybe as many as 10. I don't own a scale, so we'll just have to wait till my next dr's appointment for that update. I do feel like I've gotten girthier in my sides and hips and my breasts just keep getting bigger (one wonders how big they can get at this point!). Some women find themselves a bit more forgetful that usual, due to hormones - so now I finally have an excuse for my absent mindedness!

Thanks to the shot in my knee I've finally been able to do some exercising in addition to the kegals I've been doing all along. We've been going for walks when we can, but unfortunately my sinus infection never cleared up all the way and has re-emerged stronger and more bent on victory. The Dr gave me some more antibiotics and baby safe meds to get me over it though, so hopefully this will be the end of it. I was able to go to Pre-Natal Yoga this week though. It was phenomenal. Really centering and focused. I can already see from one class how many of the things we did will be good for labor, physically, but more than anything I think the mindset that yoga creates will be a really good one for staying calm and centered. I'm excited for the rest of the class and to start my video at home for during the week.

Coming Up: We will be getting the high grade midpregnancy ultrasound right after thanksgiving during the 20 week midwife appointment (good good can it be 5 months already?!?). We are seeing Judith, another of the midwives in the practice this time instead of Stephanie. I hope to get at least one appointment in with Barbara as well before delivery so I can have met them all. The Ultrasound is done to assess fetal growth and development, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, and determine whether the gestational age is accurate. We aren't finding out if it's a boy or a girl so you're going to have to wait a little longer for that, but hopefully we'll get some more great pictures!

We also have our first appointment with our doula on the 25th, which I am very excited about. (also check out these statistics if you are interested in doulas). She's really a fantastic woman and recourse already, I'm looking forward to getting to know her better and getting deeper into the preparations for delivery, soon we start our Childbirth classes too. It's all becoming so much more real every day :) I'm so excited to meet our little one, everyday it gets scarier but everyday I get so much more excited.

be well my friends, I hope to talk to you soon.

Subject:	Midwife Appointment Week 16
Time:	10:48 am.
Mood:	ecstatic.

My midwife is the coolest person ever. I have so much fun at these appointments I think it's a little unnatural.

So the first thing that they do when you get there (other than sign in and wait for your name to be called) is they weigh you. As I'm getting on the scale the following conversation occurs:

Nurse: Well, you're coming along nicely now aren't you? How far along are you now?
Me: 4 Months
Nurse: Really? Are you sure there's only one in there?

sigh...I really am a moose.

My weight is 131, Blood Pressure 102/65. Still 1 pound under pre-pregnancy weight. The midwife said that was fine for now but that I should start gaining now. If I don't start gaining weight by my next visit she wants me to chart what I'm eating. I told her that I eat a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich almost every morning and a grilled cheese Sandwich with ham or bacon on it for lunch or pizza or something and then some kind of meat and veggie every night for dinner AND that I snack all day long (Oranges, Cookies, Cheese). She said I was eating all the right things and was happy with my diet and that I was getting lots of protein and fat and said not to try to eat more yet, but that we'd make sure to check it next time...I don't think I CAN eat anymore. I might explode!

She asked about my knee and seemed to think that Yoga/Massage/Shots/Orthodics were a good combination to get through this. She also suggested talking to him about what medications I'd be on and she would check them for me about if they're OK while breastfeeding and to ask about having an epidural during the surgery and then a walking epidural to recover with so i could continue to breast feed with no breaks. I'm seeing my surgeon again in January so I'll ask about that. Sounds like a good solution to the medication question. I got my first shot on Wednesday and am doing OK now, still alittle sore, but hopefully I'll be a lot better by Saturday.

She measured me and said that I was measuring perfectly for 16 weeks and that the fundus was right in the right spot. We got to listen to that racing little heart again and she said it sounded like the baby was doing really well and healthy. We passed on the Triple Screen and there weren't any other tests to do that day.

Now the fun part, we asked her if it was OK that I was so large but still not gaining any weight, and if that could be an indication that there's more than one hiding in there. She said it was possible and asked us if we wanted to sneak in an Ultrasound. We don't get the high grade ultrasound until next month, so the picture was real fuzzy but we got to see our little monkey again! And THANK GOD, there's only one in there!

The shots are amazing. I'll scan and post as soon as I can. The best part was that once we got a good shot and held the ultrasound still you could watch the baby moving around. It was grabbing (punching at...) it's feet and hunching it's shoulders and shaking/nodding it's head. We got to watch for a long time because the midwife is going to Ultrasound training and doesn't get to do them very often right now and was all excited to get to play.

We zoomed in on the heart and you could see all 4 chambers pumping away perfectly and it's little knee joint and eyes and nose and mouth. It's so amazing that it's in there, all folded up like that, playing. There's even one ultrasound where we got the angle just right to see it's skeletal structure and you can see the whole skull and spine and arms and everything. Really cool.

Subject:	Baby Goodness 16 Weeks (4 Months!)
Time:	1:56 pm.
Mood:	jubilant.

A person's a person, no matter how small! - from "Horton Hears a Who," by Dr. Seuss

Baby's Development Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (about 6 inches long, crown to rump, and weighing approximately 3 ounces) still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. In the next three weeks s/he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. The lanugo hair is present, and covers your baby's head and body. The baby's musculoskeletal system has matured, and the nervous system begins to exert control. Blood vessels rapidly develop. The baby's fetal hands can grasp and the legs kick actively. The organs begin to mature and grow.

In or out of the womb, babies are playful creatures. Yours may already have discovered his first toy — the umbilical cord — which Baby will enjoy pulling and grabbing. Sometimes baby may even clutch it so tight that less oxygen gets through, but don't worry — s/he doesn't hold onto it long enough to cause harm. The circulatory system and urinary tract are in full working order, and Baby is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through the lungs.

What's new this week? Light sensitivity and a bad case of the hiccups, which is a precursor to breathing. You can't hear them, though, because the baby's trachea is filled with fluid rather than air.

Momma's Development The fundus (top of uterus) is halfway between the pubis and navel. I'm supposed to gain about one pound per week now, and begin to feel more energetic. I've begun wearing some of my smaller maternity clothes, but expect to be in them full time pretty soon.

I think I may have felt the baby move, but it only happened a few times and has quieted down now. I can't really know for sure, but it's so exciting to think my little worm is squiggling around in there.

I am definitely feeling Round Ligament Pain now (Ligaments on each side of your uterus and pelvic walls are stretching as your baby grows.) Sometimes it's pretty intense, but not that bad. The worst is when I cough or giggle, then it's like getting a stitch in your side...only not in your side.

One of the big things that happens now is we have to make decisions about pre-natal testing. We have decided not to do the Triple Screen, which tests for Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Anencephaly, Omphalocele and Gastroschisis. A positive test result would not mean that the baby was at risk for any of these things, only would indicate a small percentage chance that they could be at risk (1 in 270). The next step would be an Amniocentesis which we have decided the risk of is too great considering the inconclusiveness of the Triple Screen. Considering our age and family histories, a 1 in 200 chance of miscarriage due to the Amniocentesis is an overwhelmingly greater risk than any of the diseases they would be looking for. Plus, at this point, no result would change our course of action. If you would like an info on these tests or other genetic testing info go to this website for some really good info.

This week I have a massage scheduled to try and help with some of the pain in my back (more from my knee than pregnancy I think), the first Kendall shot in my knee and our next Midwife appointment. So expect another update maybe next Friday.

Time:	11:49 am.
Mood:	happy.

1. Whats your name? Kara S Tyler

2. When are you due, or when will you start trying? Due April 25, 2003 - My Father's Birthday

3. Are you having a Boy/Girl? If not expecting which do you want? We aren't going to find out. I think it's a boy though :)

4. Any Names? Fionna Ruth Tyler or Colton Cambell Tyler. We will call Colton Cole.

5. Is your husband/boyfriend/SO excited? Yeah, he's adorable

6. Have you began your nursery? Well, ish...we ordered the crib and glider and have been getting the house in order so we can have the room to get that room empty and then ready.

7. What is nursery theme? Which do you want? Whirligig by Kidsline

8. Do you have any other kids? Just furry ones

9. Are you planning to deliver with or without medication? without.

10. Where are you delievering? At Georgetown Hospital with the Midwifrey group.

11. Do you plan on breastfeeding? Yes, and then exclusively breast milk from me or in a bottle so Don can participate.

12. Do you like your doctor? The Dr's there are great but the midwives are FANTABULOUS. I wouldn't trade them for anything

13. Have you found a pediatrician? No - we have one recommendation but they're too far away.

14. Do you have pets? How do you think they will react? Two dogs. Timmie and Ayla. Timmie will be fine teh only danger is in him licking the baby too much. Ayla though...well we'll see. She's very much her Momma's girl so she might have some trouble adjusting, but we've been starting to train them to stay out of our room and the baby room and will soon have the basement finished so they can be down there comfortably most of the time.

15. Have you been to a childbirth class (Lamaze etc..) We start Birthworks the first week of December. Also I start a Pre-Natal Yoga class next week.

16. Do you have/Did you have Cravings? Olives and Pickels. I know, I'm a walking stereotype, but I need at least one of each everyday or I start to panic. It's weird.

17 Are you in maternity clothes? Some, not pants yet, but some shirts. Mostly I'm in that "too big for my clothes, too small for materity clothes stage. And I'm only 3/12 months!

18. What do you miss the most about not being prego? Brie...Brie and Beer...Brie and Beer and Sushi

19. Did you/Do you have morning sickness? Yes, thank you for reminding me

20. Do you plan on having anyone in the delievery room? Don, our Doula Stacy, and one hopes the Midwife will make an appearance :)

21. Do you plan on having any other kids after this? I don't know. We've always wanted to adopt a second child, but it's so expencive and this baby is costing us all of $10 for all of the check-ups and anything I need for the birth, even if it gets complicated.

22. Have you began nesting? Yeah, I vacuumed the whole house this weekend. Me. Kara Tyler...formerly Kara Smith Schiffner...I vacuumed!

23.How much weight have you gained? My last check up was 3 weeks ago and I had lost 3 pounds. It's hard to say what that will be next week though.

24. Will you work or Stay at Home after your maternity leave? I will go back to work, but we are talking about the possibility of Don staying home.

25. Have you had an ultrasound, who does the baby(babies) look like? Only one at 8 weeks. It doesn't look like anything really at that point, just a little blob with a heartbeat :)

Subject:	12 Week Midwife Appointment
Time:	10:17 am.
Mood:	relieved.

OK, so my midwife is great, she couldn't be any cooler or calmer or more welcoming. I feel so comfortable now. She answered ALL of our questions and gave me a name of a good PCP since I need a new one and even the name of a pediatrician to talk to at some point. I'm giddy.

weight: 129 lbs (down 3 lbs from pre-pregnancy - this is amazing cause my breast have grown quite a lot and my belly is getting significant.) The midwife thought this was great though, she thinks that I won't gain too much excess weight other than what the baby needs (good news for my knee) and that my body seemed to be adjusting itself just fine to the needs of pregnancy. She said that it didn't matter if I gained weight but that I was healthy and the baby was healthy and that I seemed to be doing everything right :)
Blood Pressure: 100/70 - down from 115/70

And then we got to listen to the baby's heart on the doppler. I know everyone says it sounds like a woosh woosh, but this baby is more of a WoodjaWoodjaWoodjaWoodja. She said it sounded good and strong and that the baby seemed to be in sync with me.

Last Month's Test Results

I am Rh Positive
I have a very high Iron count which is good because Iron often goes down in pregnancy and still having a high iron count at this point means I probably won't become anemic
I've had all the right vaccinations and am immune to all the nasty things they worry about (Rubella/Chicken Pox etc.)
I have low trace proteins in my Urine, but not enough to cause any concern, they'll just watch it next month

She knows and loves the Doula we hired. In fact she was really excited that it was going to be Stacy and said that we had picked well and that she would make this so much easier for us. A ringing endorsement

I had some questions about the EFM and how often they used it.

What Stephanie (the midwife) likes to do is have you on the EFM for 10 minutes when you first get there to get a base line just to compare to is need be. Then they monitor you with the doppler and other non invasive techniques throughout. Every 5 hours or so they like to check in with the EFM, but not for very long, they don't just make you sit there on it, but just put you on for a few minutes while they stay with you and watch the read out to check in. After a brief (5 minutes tops) check they take you off. Don and I talked about it and we're OK with this. Especially since they don't hook you up and walk away, they stay there with you and watch and only leave you on as long as they need

There are med students there sometimes but will leave if we ask them too, but she said they just sit and watch, which is a very hard thing for the students to do and if we don't mind them being there it's really good for Dr's to learn how to just watch and be there with you, not doing anything to you, which I agree with, so as long as they don't actively bug me or try to touch me there will probably be a med student around for some of it.

After the baby is born we both get cleaned up and the baby doesn't leave Don and I at all. As long as we are both healthy we can roomin in the postpartum room and stay for 48 hours.

The only vaccine given is the Hepatitis vaccine which we have to sign a consent form for before they give it. This is when she gave me the name of the Pediatrician as a good person to talk to as we get closer about Vaccine questions.

Subject:	3 Months of Baby Goodness!
Time:	11:11 am.
Mood:	ecstatic.

Baby's Development
Half an ounce!! That's how much, on the average, your baby weighs. She is about 2.5 to 3 inches long and is now fully formed, from toothbuds to toenails. You can probably hear your baby's heartbeat with a doppler at your appointment this month. The pituitary gland is starting to produce hormones, such as growth hormone, prolactin, corticotropin and others. Fingers and toes have separated and some of the bones are beginning to harden. Fingernails continue to grow, and baby is developing hair.

Me and My Ever Expanding Uterus
I'm still pretty sick, but we've determined that I have a Sinus Infection, so hopefully when that clears up I will begin feeling much better. I'm definitely getting bigger though, we put the first round of clothing into the Armour for safe keeping until next year. "Your uterus is too big to fit in your pelvis now, and you may be able to feel it just above your pubic bone." Don was poking around at my belly last night and says he can feel substance in there, I don't know if he's just excited or if he really can, but it's neat to think that that's our baby, just a few layers of Kara away.

My skin is broken out, this is the worst it's been since i was in high-school, but I'm not experiencing any splotching or the linea nigra yet (the linea nigra, a dark vertical line of pigmentation that runs from the top to bottom of your belly) even though that's said to begin around now. Emotionally I'm much calmer. Now that we're at the end of the first trimester I feel much more secure that this little monster is going to stay put as long as it needs to to grow healthy and strong.

This week ends the first trimester! I'm a third of the way there!

Subject:	10 weeks (2 1/2 months) of Baby Goodness
Time:	10:43 am.

Baby's development
The heart is almost completely developed and very much resembles that of a newborn baby. Twenty tiny baby teeth are forming in the gums. Though the fetus is only from 1 3/4 to 3 inches long crown to rump and weighs less than half an ounce, it's busily swallowing and kicking. Each day more minute details start to appear, such as fingernails and peach-fuzzy hair. The vital organs — the liver, kidneys, intestines, brain, and lungs — are fully formed and functional, while the head is almost half the length of the entire body.

If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to see the clear outline of his spine. Spinal nerves stretch out from the spinal cord.

All About Me
I have been pretty sick so far, which is why there hasn't been an update about me yet, plus, nothing has really changed on the outside. According to the pregnancy info I have my uterus is now the size of a grapefruit, which is pretty amazing. My body has definitely changed. Although I haven't gained any weight my waist line has changed and my basic shape has shifted to a more "mommy" look.

I have also been warmer and uncomfortable at night which is due to an increase in the amount of blood circulating in my body.

disclaimer: a lot of the fetal development pictures I am finding are from pro-life websites. I'm only using them because I think it's really amazing to see the changes going on and the growth of our baby, not to in any way support these organizations. I am firmly pro-choice.

Subject:	1st Dr's appointment
Time:	4:44 pm.
Mood:	ecstatic.

We had our first OB Appointment today. And we got to see the baby on the ultrasound! I thought we'd have to wait a while longer but there it is:

Isn't it perfect? :)

Everything else with the appointment went really well too. We saw Dr. Moxley who is the second Dr. in the 6 Dr. practice we've met and we like him even more than Dr. Cooley. Our next appointment will be with one of the midwives since I think we're going to have a midwife deliver the baby, but it's nice to know that if we need a Dr.'s care there are some right on hand and that they are so nice and we're comfortable with them.

So my BP is 115/70 and my weight is 130. I've lost 2 pounds since being pregnant, which is pretty amazing considering how big I feel and how all my clothes are too tight. I guess I'm just small enough that I'm felling every change. We asked a bunch of questions and the Dr answered them all. We feel really comfortable there. Basically the philophy is that as long as everything is normal and low risk we can have or not have anything we want, so we aren't required to have an EFM or IV or anything unless we choose to or there becomes a medical reason to start.

So I'm officially 8 weeks 4 days pregnant, which matches up exactly with what Don and I thought. We don't get another ultrasound until 20 weeks though, it's going to have grown so much!